es me! And I honestly confess to
returning the feeling with some cordiality. As far as appearance goes,
I think without vanity I may say I have the best of it, Cousin Amelia
being very short and pale, with a "turn-up" nose and long ringlets.
Why does a little woman with a turn-up nose always wear her hair in
ringlets? Is it that she wishes to resemble a King Charles's spaniel?
And why are our sex so apt to cherish feelings of animosity towards
those who are younger and better-looking than themselves? While I ask
myself these questions I was suddenly accosted by a lady who had been
some time in conversation with my chaperon, and from whom, I saw by
Aunt Deborah's countenance, she was anxious to make her escape. Poor
old soul! What could she do? A double rank of dowagers hemmed her in
in front; on one side of her was her unwelcome acquaintance and the
banisters--on the other, myself and three demure young ladies
(sisters), who looked frightened and uncomfortable--whilst her rear
was guarded by a tall cavalry officer with enormous moustachios,
heading an impervious column of dandies worse than himself. Aunt
Deborah was like a needle in a bottle of hay. Taking advantage of her
position, the lady before mentioned seized me by both hands, and vowed
she should have known me anywhere by my likeness to my poor mamma. "I
must make your acquaintance, my dear Miss Coventry--your uncle, Sir
Harry, was one of my oldest friends. I see you so often in the park,
and you ride the nicest horse in London, a bay with a white star." Of
course I bowed an affirmative, and shook my new friend by the hand
with a cordiality equal to her own. A conversation begun in so
promising a manner as by a reference to my favourite was sure to go on
swimmingly; besides, we could not have got away from each other if we
would; and ere long I found Mrs. Lumley--for that was the lady's
name--a most amusing and satirical personage, with a variety of
anecdotes about all her friends and acquaintances, and a sort of
flippant charm of manner that was quite irresistible.

Besides all this, she was doubtless a very pretty woman--less striking
perhaps than winning. At the first glance you hardly remarked her--at
the second you observed she was very well dressed--at the third it
occurred to you all of a sudden that she was far better-looking than
half the regular red-and-white beauties of the season; and after five
minutes' conversation all the men were over head and ear